Neque in quod animi perspiciatis. 209 votes, 208 comments. Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, has been branded 'son of slavery' and a 'colonialist profiter'. The statue is specially designed, with many of the facial features exaggerated so the sculpture has an impact from a distance. 2Nd Viscount Robert Melville Statue, Melville Street, Edinburgh is a Category A listed building in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Check out Melville Street, Edinburgh road map. Get the latest updates on our work in the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage site, plus news, events and exclusive offers. Graffiti covers a statue of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, on Melville Street in Edinburgh (Image: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images) The documentary includes details of the campaign by Heriot-Watt professor Sir Geoff Palmer to have the wording on the plaque changed to include details of the role Dundas played in delaying abolition. Group will consider statue removal, as well as revising street and building names It follows protests over the Melville monument in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh By Katie Weston For Mailonline Dundas was a British statesman, the son of Henry Dundas, the 1st Viscount. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Today the figure it commemorates is largely forgotten, and instead people appreciate it as another part of the city’s extraordinary architectural heritage, an impressive backdrop to our daily lives. He was also Keeper of the Signet for Scotland from 1800. Hotels near Melville Monument: (0.09 mi) Cheval The Edinburgh Grand (0.07 mi) Ibis Styles Edinburgh Centre St Andrew Square (0.08 mi) Le Monde Hotel Edinburgh (0.09 mi) InterContinental Edinburgh The George (0.09 mi) Travelodge Edinburgh Central Princes Street; View all hotels near Melville … pic by Terry Murden @edinburghelitemedia Filename SCT_EEm_Melville_Statue_TM130620200006.jpg Edinburgh - Edinburgh, Melville Street, 2nd Viscount Robert Melville Statue - 20140426183559.jpg 2,112 × 2,816; 1.49 MB 2nd Viscount Robert Melville Statue Edinburgh Scotland (Q17570757).jpg 5,955 × … In Edinburgh’s St Andrew's Square, there is a statue dedicated to 18th Century politician Henry Dundas, which is also known as the Melville Monument. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Statue of Robert Viscount Melville, Melville Street, Edinburgh, daubed with anti-slavery graffiti. To reassure them the lighthouse engineer Robert Stevenson was brought in to advise the project. Pariatur nemo excepturi incidunt eius, vitae rerum, Edinburgh World Heritage gratefully acknowledges the support of. 1812. Many of those who have played a key role in shaping Scottish identity, culture, politics and scientific advancement are commemorated in permanent memorials of stone or bronze, which are often on the ‘must see’ list for visitors to the city. The Melville Monument in St Andrew Square is one of the most prominent landmarks in the city, but unlike the Scott Monument, for some reason it rarely features in classic views of Edinburgh. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. The simple fact was that Dundas was very good at working the corrupt system of Georgian politics, and many people in Scotland had benefited from his goodwill. In Edinburgh, a statue of the 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume was adorned with a placard quoting his views on white superiority. The stone statue on top of the monument was carved by Francis Chantrey the leading sculptor in Regency era Britain. Lisa Williams of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association takes us on a tour of Edinburgh with a difference… In the heart of the New Town. It accompanied a copy of the contract agreed betweeen The Lord Provost of Edinburgh and Mr Chantrey for execution of the Statue, with copy of reply. “The fact that the statue that dominates the Edinburgh skyline is of the guy who delayed the abolition of the Transatlantic slave trade is something we can’t just ignore.” Also known as the “Grand Manager of Scotland”, Tory politician Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville played a … ©JPIMedia Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Letters and papers relating to the proposed monument to Robert Dundas, Viscount Melville, in Edinburgh. Statue of Robert Viscount Melville, Melville Street, Edinburgh, daubed with anti-slavery graffiti. A special scaffold known as a ‘crowsnest’ had to be built around the top of the column, to enable conservators to get access. Work on such a tall column presents many issues, but it was the conservation of the statue which proved particularly tricky. Public Monuments and Sculpture Association: Edinburgh Standing bronze figure of Melville leaning on a square pillar, on top of two large stone steps. The Melville Monument is a fluted column atop which is the stone statue of Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville. The architect William Burn chose to build the column based on a design inspired by Trajans Column in Rome dating back to 113 AD. English: Statue of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville in one of Edinburgh's grandest streets, named after him. Edinburgh, United Kingdom - June 22, 2015: Melville Monument and Statue of James Clerk Maxwell, Edinburgh, Scotland. Dundas was the Member of Parliament for Hastings in 1794, Rye in 1796 and Midlothian in 1801. The architect William Burn decided on a design inspired by Trajans Column in Rome, which dates to around 113 AD. A statue (1818), by Sir Francis Chantrey, of Dundas stands against the north wall inside Parliament Hall in Edinburgh. The Melville Monument is a good example of how the meaning of the city’s landmarks can change over time. Statue of Lord Melville. ... Robert Viscount Melville statue, Melville Street . At the outbreak of war with France he became Minister for War, and many historians blame him for much of the lack of organisation and confused planning in the campaigns that followed. Dundas trained as a lawyer but went on to have a highly successful political career, becoming MP for Midlothian in 1774 and shortly afterwards a government minister. Dundas Street… 33.2k members in the Edinburgh community. Later on it was decided to place a statue of Dundas on top of the column, modelled by Francis Chantrey, the leading sculptor of his day. Melville Statue, Melville Street, Edinburgh Statue of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville (1771-1851), in Melville Street, Edinburgh. A 'woke' travel guide on Edinburgh's links with the slave trade calls for the removal of the statue of 18th-century MP Henry Dundas. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. In 1806 he was impeached for the misuse of public funds, and although found not guilty he never held office again. The fluted column is 150 feet tall, something which caused some consternation among nearby businesses. SC037183. voluptatum distinctio nulla nostrum cumque ex neque inventore quae minus! Get the Edinburgh stories that matter to you sent straight to … In 2008 the Melville Monument was restored as part of the Twelve Monuments Project, a joint initiative of Edinburgh World Heritage and the City of Edinburgh Council. Letter from john Wauchope to Lord Melville. As Home Secretary he used his influence to frustrate efforts to end the slave trade. Scottish charity No. Graffiti that reads "Son of slaver and Colonialist Profiteer" has appeared on the statue of Robert Dundas 2nd Viscount Melville, son of Henry Dundas 1st Viscount Melville, in Melville Street, Edinburgh. Edinburgh thug attacked his own parents as they rowed over money, 'It is ice hell, a total nightmare' - Fury over lack of grit for bins as frost bites in Edinburgh. ... which stands on Melville Street in Edinburgh. An Edinburgh statue has been targeted with anti-slavery graffiti. Why then would anyone build a monument to this ‘monster’? The stone column is almost 40 feet tall and the renowned lighthouse engineer was brought in to reassure local businesses and residents that it was safe. A subreddit for those who love the city, or live here and want to talk about it … In fact, the monument was paid for, not by the government, but as a plaque on it records, ‘by the voluntary contributions of the officers, petty officers, seamen and marines’. United Kingdom - June 22, 2015: Melville monument and statue of Robert Dundas, Viscount! A tall column presents many issues, but it was the Member of Parliament for Hastings in 1794, in... 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